Staten island Advance/Mark SteinJimmy Crupi Sr., center, stands with his sons, Jimmy Jr., left, and Michael, in front of the new Fix-A-Dent Auto Body on South Bridge Street in Richmond Valley. The repair shop's first location opened more than 30 years ago on Van Street in West Brighton.

RICHMOND VALLEY - Need a fix? It’s not far off. A staple in the North Shore automotive scene, Fix-A-Dent Automotive Center recently expanded to the South side of Staten Island.

Owner Jimmy Crupi Sr. and his two sons, Jimmy Jr., 38, and Michael, 35, opened shop on South Bridge Street in Richmond Valley this past June to better cater to customers who are scattered across the borough. In addition, said Crupi, the location of the shop grabs attention: It’s right off the Outerbridge Crossing.

Crupi said he and his staff are still settling in and adjusting to their new digs. Up north, Fix-A-Dent has been operating since 1979 on Van Street.

“We’re getting there,” the 58-year-old man said. “It was a big transition, and we’re taking care of the main things first, but we’ll get to the little details.”

The little details being pictures in his otherwise bare, white-walled office, he joked.

At the South Bridge site, patrons can have their vehicles treated for body work and repairs. The Richmond Valley garage can hold up to 14 vehicles at once.

“That’s what makes us unique. We advertise as an auto body shop, but we do everything in-house. We do brakes, oil changes, 24-hour road service. All of those things are taken care of here,” Crupi detailed, noting front-end alignments and air conditioner recharges are also done at the fully-equipped shop.

A new paint-spray booth is also on the way.

“It’s working out pretty well,” said Crupi, a mechanic for over four decades. “A lot of customers live out here. They like this location because it’s easier to get to.”

The native Islander explained his passion for the automotive industry came early in life from racing Soap Box Derby cars.

“When we built my car, we’d take it to a body shop to have it painted. Just being around the body shop, I don’t know, I just picked it up from there,” said Crupi, now a New Jersey resident.

Over time, he rented garages, did back-yard vehicle repairs, and eventually opened his first shop on Van.

“I was born and raised here, so I’ve been repairing cars as a kid. I’ve always had a bit of a following,” said the man. “I’ve been around it my whole life.”

As the business tools and methods have changed, Fix-A-Dent has stayed with it.

“We had to conform to so many things. We always did, and we’re still doing it,” said Crupi.

While equipment and vehicles change, the owner explained only one thing has remained constant.

“The main thing is – and I can’t stress it enough – customer satisfaction. We try to do anything we have to do to satisfy them and keep them happy,” he said. “Whatever has to be done.”

Fix-A-Dent Automotive Center is located at 70 South Bridge St. and can be reached at 718-948-8889. For more information, visit www.fixadent.net.